Fifteen

The Wine

Sitting on the sofa wrapped in Margo’s red fuzzy blanket, I pretended to watch an episode of The Office that I had seen several times. The Office was my go to show when I needed a laugh. Tonight, it wasn’t working. I found humor in nothing.

Heath was sitting beside me, and he didn’t appear to be watching the television either. Glancing at him, I noticed he was busy texting someone, but I didn’t look over to see who. Heath had been single longer than his norm. When he had said he was taking a break from women, I hadn’t believed that would last as long as it had. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was texting a new romantic interest. Hopefully this time he found one that wasn’t crazy. It was highly doubtful, though. Heath attracted the worst females.

Margo was flirting with Duely in the kitchen. He’d come over to cook dinner even though I wasn’t sure how good Duely’s cooking was. His fridge had been pathetic this morning, but anything was better than Margo’s cooking. Duely also knew I’d want to go back to his place tonight. He’d come over with the excuse of cooking for us when it was just a way to check on me. There had been no sign of the stalking warlock though. I’d told him as much in a quiet whisper after he arrived. Although I’d spent the majority of the day inside this apartment, the idea that he might show up here worried me. I’d cast a protection around the building earlier, but I didn’t know if I was strong enough for whatever he was. I wouldn’t bring danger to my friends. Duely and I both being here was probably safer for them than my not being here at all.

As much as I wanted to see Greta and hug her while silently placing a rune of peace and ease around her, I knew she was surrounded by her family. She needed them more than she needed an incantation. Magic wasn’t always the answer. It manipulated things, and, often, that was to benefit fate, but I believed the love of family was stronger. I didn’t have that, but I had seen its power in others.

The staff at Grandezzas had met earlier at the restaurant to help clean up and put things away. It had been the only time I left the apartment. Heath had picked me up and taken me there. So many tears and sad hearts. It only spoke of the impact Mattia had on everyone. He’d cared for his employees, and this place had felt like a home for me. For others that weren’t as misplaced as me in life, it had been a place they enjoyed working because of the way we were treated.

Even after death, Mattia was taking care of everyone. The doors were closing for an indefinite amount of time, but everyone was given a check that covered two weeks’ worth of salary and tips. We were sent home with food as the kitchen was cleared out. Greta had family here, and she could use the food, but Jacque said she insisted the employees take the food. She was struggling with us all being without a job, but we all completely understood her need to close the doors. I couldn’t see her here without Mattia. The idea of it seemed so wrong and depressing.

The amount of food we’d been sent home with was why we were cooking tonight and not just ordering take out. There was too much food to fit in the fridge at Heath and Margo’s apartment. Duely had brought a cooler, and Heath had filled it with food when I had said Duely had an empty fridge.

Normally, being surrounded by Heath, Margo, and Duely would be enjoyable. They were the only three people on the planet I loved. They were the closest thing I would ever have to a family. I wanted to believe my grief was what had me so down. I’m sure part of it was just that. The sadness of this day was overwhelming. I was well aware of my faults and acknowledged them. I had fought my nature from the time I understood the ugly inside me. I knew that my current mood had much to do with Rathe’s absence. I wasn’t happy about it, and I wished I could make this longing I seemed to be experiencing for the man stop. I could make a man want me with magic; I could make him do anything I wanted. But I couldn’t make myself feel a certain way. I had no control over my emotions with magic. No manipulating myself. Which sucked about right now. I wanted him here. That was dangerous for him and for me. I did not need to be attached to him; yet, here I was… attached.

“Tell this woman that Italian food requires garlic,” Duely called from the opening to the kitchen.

“Ignore her. She likes garlic; she’s just worried about her breath stinking,” Heath replied.

I heard Duely’s laughter and then some giggling from Margo. We could see them when they were at the bar, but there was a wall between where we sat on the sofa and the stove area in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what the giggling was about, but Duely had promised not to do anything with Margo or to give her the wrong idea. We’d had that talk years ago. I refreshed his memory regularly. He seemed to need it when he was around anyone he found attractive.

“She’s enjoying his attention,” Heath said with a smirk. “When he’s flirting, she forgets that his bisexuality confuses her.”

The power the Kamlock’s possessed was something I would not use on a man; however, Duely had been doing it with others so long, it came natural to him. His smile held a certain amount of bewitchment. It was part of the Kamlock curse that I countered with the spell I had placed around me to do the opposite with men.

“Most people do. Duely is charming. Lethally so,” I explained the best I could.

“Your family all seems to have that charm thing going for them,” he replied, as if he had read my mind. If he only knew just how charming they all were. It was worse than anything he could imagine. Not knowing was what would keep them safe.

“I’m afraid so,” I agreed, in a forlorn voice I hadn’t meant to show. I was tired from last night and today. Keeping my emotions in check and hidden was proving to be difficult when I was worn down. I needed to try harder.

He reached over and placed his hand over mine. “You doing okay?” he asked, lowering his voice. He’d noticed my tone. I had expected him to. Heath was observant when he cared.

“Yeah. I’m glad Greta has her kids with her,” I paused, then added, “We need to go on a job search.” I wanted to change the subject. My emotions were raw enough. The truth was Heath and I both needed an income and quickly. The check we had gotten from Grandezzas was helpful and gave us a small cushion. Heath had rent to pay and I wanted to have a rent to pay. I was close to saving up enough to get a place of my own with the security that I could afford it for the first six months, without needing my weekly paycheck. I still held the dream that I could go to community college and get my nursing degree.

He frowned. “I’ve been thinking about it, too. Not sure where to go look. You thinking of another server job?”

I hadn’t thought that far, but I needed to. Working at another restaurant for someone else seemed too sad. Maybe discussing a job right now wasn’t the best idea. There didn’t seem to be a topic that could distract me.

I shrugged in response and looked down at his hand over mine. How normal that felt, how comfortable, how easy. There was no racing heart or silly butterflies. It was just Heath. He wasn’t work to be around. No having to keep myself in check.

Sighing because my thoughts kept going to Rathe, I wished I didn’t think about him so much. He hadn’t said where he was going tonight. He’d been dressed in jeans, a black button up shirt, and his hair was brushed and tucked neatly behind his ears. He’d smelled more heavenly than earlier today. I’d been able to smell him from across the room.

The only explanation for his appearance had to be a girl. He had a date and didn’t want to bring it up after the day we’d had around here. The slight pain in my chest at the thought of him being with another female tonight frustrated me, and I pushed it aside. I should focus on my friends and think about anything else. It was difficult, though, when the memory of him asking me easy but pointless questions to distract me kept replaying in my mind. Duely had nothing on Rathe when it came to charm. Rathe’s was natural, with no magical enhancements. Although I’d never mention that to Duely. I realized then that Heath was looking at me, clearly waiting on more of a response than my casual shrug. Deciding I needed to say something when I realized Heath was looking at me

“I think I may look at some other places. I want to eventually take classes at the community college. I won’t ever get a four-year degree from a University they way y’all will, but I don’t require it to become a nurse.” There was no bitterness in my words. I was thankful my friends were given the chance to attend Delvaux. They both wanted careers that would require a four-year degree from a university.

I’d been offered no scholarships because I hadn’t applied for any. I had been a very mediocre student on purpose. A family with my mother’s wealth didn’t qualify for financial help either. My dad hadn’t left anything to me, but then, he wasn’t expecting to die so soon. Everything had been left to my mother, which was the Kamlock way. They made sure it was all theirs. No sharing with the offspring. Which is fine. The Delvaux money my mother had was blood money. Evil money. I didn’t want what my mother stole from my father.

“You’re talented, you’re smart, you’re beautiful,” Heath paused then after saying I was beautiful. I wasn’t sure he’d ever said that to me. Was he as surprised as I was? I glanced up at him, and he was staring at me with a nervous expression. “You have a world of opportunities. A degree from Delvaux isn’t required to have opportunities. You could do anything you wanted.” He said all that too quickly and his voice held too much inflection.

I saw something there in his gaze then. Tensing up, I wondered if Duely was right? Had I missed it, and somewhere along the way, Heath had developed feelings for me? Was the time he spent around me too much and some of that damn cursed charm leaked through? Had I not been on guard with him, and let something slip? Could Heath feel something for me more than friendship because of who I was? If he was feeling something for me, it had to be the magic in my blood drawing him, not just me. We had been friends for most of our life. A natural attraction to me wouldn’t suddenly be developing. If Duely was right then this was the damn Kamlock curse getting to him.

“Who wants a drink of this expensive ass wine that Heath brought back?” Duely asked, walking into the living room with two wine glasses full of a lovely red color liquid. It was a welcomed distraction, and I wanted to hug Duely for it. He had no idea how awkward things were about to get in here if we were left alone. Heath looked like he was planning on saying more mushy things or singing my praises. No, not Heath. I could not let Heath be affected by my jinxed blood.

“Me!” I blurted, jerking my hand out from under Heath’s, thankful for a reason to break that contact. I held out a hand toward Duely a little too anxiously. This was all too much to work through in one day: losing Mattia, realizing I have a thing for Rathe, needing a new job, and finding that my best friend may be suffering from the effects of the enchantment inside me I thought I’d protected him from. Wine sounded like a fine idea right now.

“That’s my girl! Drink up. I may make an alcoholic out of you yet. Two days in a row,” Duely said, walking over to place the wine in my outstretched hand. I wish I could enjoy this wine instead of needing to chug it down. Greta had left instructions with Jacque that the wine cellar and bar were to be cleared out. She said to send it home with responsible employees. Jacque had sent ten bottles of more expensive red wine with Heath, and he’d given me a box of white wines and the only bottle of Titos they had left in the bar. There would be no savoring the rich liquid. Duely was just a drinker. He wouldn’t savor it the way it should be either. Hopefully for Greta’s sake, someone enjoyed it properly.

Heath took the other glass and thanked him. Without waiting on him or anyone else to take a drink, I took one long gulp. It was delicious but I didn’t care about that right now. I just needed to relax. The ball of tension building in me was very close to exploding.

“Damn, girl, enjoy it. Don’t chug it,” Duely said, giving me a look that said we’d chat later. He knew my expressions too well. I had to cover up this sudden stress over Heath before Margo walked in and asked me what was wrong. Duely rarely savored wine. He didn’t care that I was drinking it fast.

“It’s been a day,” I told him sourly. He needed to let this go.

He didn’t look convinced. “I’m almost done. Y’all ready to eat or do you want to try the appetizers Margo made? I watched her do it, so they’re edible. Some crusty bread shit she put a lot of cheese and mushrooms on.”

Margo walked in carrying a plate and flashed us all a bright smile. Her cheeks were flushed, and I knew it had nothing to do with the wine. Duely had been up to something in there. I shot him a quick warning glare. He needed to keep his hands off my friends. All of them. I loved him, but he was too sexually promiscuous. He knew my rule.

“I made crostinis, and you forgot to mention the bacon. I added bacon to them. They’re delicious. I swear. Mom makes these and I used her recipe,” Margo explained as she held out the plate of appetizers with pride in her expression.

“If it’s mom’s recipe she’s right, they’re killer,” Heath said. “But Margo can’t cook for shit so I’ll be the one to test it first.”

Margo stuck her tongue out at Heath and handed him the plate to take a crostini. I didn’t wait for him to eat it and give a review. I went ahead and took one, too. I needed some food in my stomach since I had gulped the wine. Food had been something I hadn’t been in the mood for and drinking on an empty stomach would have me drunk in two more gulps.

“Brave,” Duely said to me, but he was doing it to tease Margo. He needed to lay off that. I was not in the frame of mind to deal with the drama that would cause.

“Not mom’s… but close,” Heath said, giving his sister a brotherly smirk. His sibling affection was clear when he spoke to her, even if they had their share of fights. I had always thought I was like a second sister to him. Did he smile at me like that? Maybe once he had, but he didn’t anymore, and I wondered if I had missed the moment when it changed. When had the difference started with him? My feelings hadn’t changed. Heath was my dear friend just like Margo. Was this all my exhaustion messing with my thoughts or was I just now seeing what I hadn’t noticed before?

I gave Margo a pleased smile when I realized she was looking at me. Margo wasn’t as observant as her brother. I didn’t need to give her cause to start asking questions. “These are excellent,” I assured her. I wasn’t sure if they were excellent or if I was just hungry from the stress. It didn’t matter because I was going to eat another one.

“Thank you,” she said and curtsied then set the plate down on the oversized round ottoman that they used as a place to prop feet and to set food in the living room. She didn’t seem to notice the mood change in here. She was probably slightly tipsy from the wine she’d been drinking in the kitchen while cooking with Duely.

“Where did the sex god go?” Duely asked looking around the room. That got my attention and I scowled in his direction. I wasn’t going to answer him. I didn’t want to think about or talk about Rathe. I wish he hadn’t brought him up. I wanted to just drink and eat.

“He had a date,” Heath confirmed my suspicion and then he took another crostini.

My chest felt that sharp pang I wanted to make go away forever. I hated feeling this way. This was so wrong. I wasn’t supposed to care. I couldn’t care. Rathe was so sure we’d be great friends; yet, I wasn’t sure I could let myself be near him.

“Ah, I see,” Duely said the words in a way that held inflection only I understood. He was calling me out on my mood. He thought this was all about Rathe being on a date. He had no idea the mountain of crap that had caused this need to drink. I felt like shoving a sock in his mouth. I could shut his mouth easily enough, and he knew it. I’d done it before with the brilliant addition of a zipper to replace his lips. Sure, it was childish, but then I was thirteen at the time.

I didn’t look at Duely. I took another drink of my wine instead. It was definitely smooth, and there was a fruity aftertaste that I should be enjoying and not gulping down like water.

“Easy, Snow White,” Duely warned, and I continued to ignore him. His nickname for me, to remind me of my naivety, was annoying. I turned my attention to The Office to see it was on the next episode. I tried to focus on the antics that normally made me laugh. Even with the wine, I still wasn’t finding it funny.

“Ignore him,” Margo said, walking back into the room carrying a new bottle of wine. “Looks like we need to break open another one.” She walked toward me. “You never drink. Enjoy it. We all need it tonight.” I let her fill my glass back up, and I felt the relaxing warmth that was starting to flow through my body. Taking another drink, I sat back and sighed from the slight numbness it was creating. She was right; I needed this. I was thankful for the yummy liquid.

I watched as Heath retrieved the cover that had fallen from my lap to the floor when I’d sat up so abruptly earlier. He covered my legs back up and that was nice. He was always nice. I smiled at him without worry that he felt other things. I was sure that I had been overthinking that. It was easier to relax now and not make things up in my head to stress about that weren’t even there. “Thank you,” I told him. “This wine is good.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, Cat, it is,” he agreed.

“I wonder how much it cost. The bottle that is, like, the whole bottle of wine,” I clarified.

“Oh shit,” I heard Duely mutter, and I wondered what was wrong with him. I didn’t glance at him though. He was getting on my nerves, and I was trying to enjoy my buzz.

“The restaurant got it at a discount, but this bottle normally sells for one hundred dollars give or take a few,” Heath told me. His shoulders were brushing mine as he leaned back and propped up his feet on the part of the ottoman the food wasn’t on. “We have two more bottles of the more expensive stuff in there. I put it up for a special occasion.”

I wondered what would qualify as a special occasion to Heath. “Graduation!” I said when I thought of it. Duely found my response funny for some reason, and I heard Margo laugh loudly with him. Heath just grinned down at me like he agreed that graduation was an excellent idea.

I took another drink and turned my attention to the television. Dwight and Michael were plotting in the staff kitchen and for the first time this evening, I laughed out loud. I knew what was about to happen next to Michael. The others were talking around me, and I felt the warmth from Heath’s body beside mine. We were sitting closer than normal. My entire side felt his and I wondered if he realized we were this close. I started to asked when Duely walked back in the room with a plate of food he placed in front of me.

“Eat up, now.” He sounded rather demanding. I didn’t like to be bossed around, but I wasn’t going to argue. I was hungry, and I took the plate while adjusting my position by sitting up straight. I couldn’t eat while leaning back. I focused on my plate and tried very hard to get the food on my fork. It was more difficult than it should be. The noodles were very slippery tonight. It seemed they didn’t want to stick when I tried to spin them around properly.

“Help her, Heath!” Margo said loudly then laughed.

I glanced at her, and she was laughing at me. My noodle situation was what she found so funny. I probably did look ridiculous, and I laughed with her then I turned to Heath.

I smiled at him feeling all cozy and nice under the covers with the familiar scent of Italian food filling the space around us. He was watching me with such a sincere smile that I wanted to hug him, but I was holding my food and that was impossible. He reached for my plate “Here, let me,” he said. I willingly gave my plate away because I couldn’t make it cooperate. He, however, had no problem spinning the fettuccine around the fork. He was a pro at slippery fettuccine, and I had never realized it.

“Open up, Cat,” he said, and I did as directed, thankful for the help. The warm creamy taste hit my tongue, and I closed my lips around the fork. Duely had done a fantastic job with the sauce. He should keep more food in his fridge if he could cook like this. It was also possible he’d used magic to create this and that made me grin. He probably couldn’t cook at all.

“Is Catalina unable to feed herself?”

The voice. It was back. He was back. Happiness at his return was the only emotion I felt, and I didn’t mind at all. I opened my eyes to see Rathe across the room. I wanted to sigh or maybe I did sigh at the sight of him standing there in all his beauty. His perfect face was scowling. He looked beautiful when he was angry, too. I swallowed my bite of food then beamed at him. Maybe he was hungry, too. That always made men angry. When they were hungry, they got ornery. It was something one couldn’t miss when they served people food for a living. “Hello Rathe!” I said a little too loudly. Why was I yelling? Or was I?

He studied me closely, and I wiped at my face with my hand, thinking that the sauce might have gotten on me. I didn’t feel anything there, but then I was feeling a little light headed, so my judgment couldn’t be trusted.

“Why is Catalina drunk?” Rathe asked, glancing over to Heath then to Duely. He seemed unhappy about this.

“I’m not drunk,” I quickly assured him. I held up my wine. “This is only my second glass. I may be tipsy, though. Yes, I’m sure I am tipsy. If there is food on my face that is why.”

“It’s your third glass, and yeah, you’re a little more than tipsy, Snow White,” Duely said, and I studied him as I thought about his words carefully. I didn’t remember getting a second refill. When had that happened?

“She needed it. We all needed it. The break from everything,” Heath said. I agreed with that completely. I nodded my head. This was a much better feeling than what I’d been feeling before the wine.

“The wine is delicious. It’s the good stuff. Why is your date over already?” I hadn’t meant to ask him that. It had just come out of my mouth before I could think it through.

He wasn’t frowning as severely anymore. Possibly he was getting in a better mood. I hoped so. I wanted us all to be happy.

“It was a commitment. I fulfilled it,” he replied then walked toward the kitchen.

“Do we need to go?” Duely asked Heath.

Heath shook his head. “No, he’s good. Must have gone badly,” he said the last bit in a quieter tone.

Duely leaned back in the chair and kicked his feet up on the ottoman across from us. “Then let’s find something to watch that’s not stupid as shit,” Duely suggested.

Heath tossed the remote to him, and I drank some more of my wine. Then took another bite of my food as Heath held it out for me on the fork. I had missed him spinning it on the fork this time. “Eat if you’re gonna keep drinking,” he told me.

I chewed my food up and swallowed before replying “Yes sir.”

He gave a low laugh and held out another bite for me. I was chewing that up when I felt the sofa on the other side of me sink in as a warm body moved to settle beside me. I could smell the intoxicating sandalwood scent and closed my eyes to breathe it in deeply.

“What are you doing?” Heath asked, and I opened my eyes then swallowed.

“Rathe smells good,” I explained, then took a drink and sat back on the sofa my other shoulder now brushing against Rathe. That entire side of my body tingled with excitement from his nearness. I couldn’t make my body not like him. My body was of its own accord. Damn traitor. I was supposed to be his friend. My body needed to react to Rathe the way it did to Heath.

Turning my head toward his shoulder, I inhaled near his neck deeply. “It’s not fair you look like you do and smell that good,” I told him.

Margo giggled, and I thought I heard Duely say “Mother of God.” I wasn’t sure because the deep rumble of a laugh coming from Rathe was too distracting. He had a wonderful laugh, too. All these mesmerizing things about him and I had to be his friend. I needed him to be like Heath if he wanted to be friends.

Suddenly, I was sleepy. My eyes were heavy, and I was cozy near Rathe. Closing my eyes, I inhaled one more time then the darkness wrapped me up.